ART PROJECT

 I bought an art project to do over the Christmas break. I wanted to make my own T-shirts. I found a way to print photos on this transfer paper and then you transfer it onto the T-shirt. I tried it today and it worked. I was so happy. I don't know how long it will last but it looks really good today. I ordered some short sleeve and long sleeve T-shirts to make more custom T-shirts. I think it is really cool. 

I spent another day with my knee elevated and I think it is feeling better. I am hoping the inflammation is decreasing.

I contacted REI and had them find the lost e-gift card for my step-sister. It turns out her firewall was blocking it. They resent it to me and I forwarded it to her. My step-sister was very nice on Christmas when her present didn't arrive. REI was very nice about the whole thing.

Until tomorrow...

GETTING READY FOR HALLOWEEN

 First, I checked on my package from Amazon and it went from a city near my house this morning to Anchorage, Alaska. I am not sure why my package of couscous went to Alaska but it had a tour of the Northwest.  I think if your package doesn't arrive when they say, it should be like Domino's Pizza, "we get it to you when we say or it is free."  When your package arrives four days late because it went to Alaska instead of your house, it should be free, right?

I had another art class today.  It was an art class for kids to learn about voting but I had fun.  We did voting badges.  I made my own voting badge.

I am not an artist and I really can't draw (especially circles) but it was fun and something out of the box.

Last night I took off Lucky's cone and let her sleep without it and she was sound asleep.  She even slept in her own bed.  She was knocked out and didn't wake up until the morning.

Tonight I participated in a virtual show put on by an Academy of Sciences.  They had a Halloween special with an expert on spiders and squids and decaying alligators and other gory things.  It was super interesting and not at all what I thought it would be.  I hope they do it again.  I love to learn new things even if it is about spiders and squids and decaying alligators!  Got me in the mood for Halloween.

Until tomorrow...

DAY 10 NO WORK

 As well as other things, today I participated in an art class put on by the library and local nonprofit.  It is getting closer to the Day of the Dead so a lot of Latinx stuff going on.  We made a Mola de Panama.  A mola is a hand-made textile that forms part of the traditional women's clothing of the Kuna people from Panama, Central America.  Molas are hand-made using a reverse appliqué technique. Several layers (usually two to seven) of different-colored cloth (usually cotton) are sewn together; the design is then formed by cutting away parts of each layer. The edges of the layers are then turned under and sewn down. Often, the stitches are nearly invisible. This is achieved by using a thread the same color as the layer being sewn, sewing blind stitches, and sewing tiny stitches. The finest molas have extremely fine stitching, made using tiny needles. 

The teacher of the class had us make a mola with construction paper, scissors, and glue stick.  A little low tech.  It was fun to make another different piece of art that I never heard of before.  Here is my creation:

The teacher's mola had a butterfly but I am not great at drawing butterflies so I went with a flower instead.  I made the suns like she had.  I am pretty happy with what I made.  It still looks like my art is from a 13 year old.  This kind of art is not where I excel. I excel in other types of art.  But as I get older I learned to not care what other people think and go, learn how to do it and do it anyway.  Do it my way.  I had fun and that is all that matters.  I am proud of my attempts at art.

Until tomorrow...

 

DAY 5 NO WORK

 This was a full day.  I woke up and did my Friday trip to the USPS post box.  This is the last week I have mail forwarding so next week I should have more mail and less missing mail!  Then I did my whole strip down and take a shower/put my items in the UV zapper.  I had a webinar and then I did my workout on the stationary bike.  I tried a new thing.  I put in a program and it was SO much harder.  It puts in hills and valleys and even though I biked fewer miles, I worked so much harder.  

In the afternoon I had a Mexican art class.  I made an Amate art piece.

What is “Amates”?

Amate paper, from the Nahuatl word ‘amatl’, is a type of bark paper which dates back to pre-Hispanic times in Mexico. It is an indigenous papermaking tradition that survives in the small village of San Pablito in Puebla. During the pre-Hispanic period, amate was used for different purposes such as, ritual offerings, payment of tributes and as a surface for the elaboration of codices. Amate paintings are made in brown and white bark. Brown paper usually features colourful paintings, made with acrylic colours, depicting flowers, birds, deer or rabbits and every day stories from the community such as fishing, hunting and harvesting. The white amate paper is used in more intricate drawings made with pen and ink representing stories of the community life.

It may not look like much but I worked very hard on this.  Of course I did not have a ficus tree that I cut down and dried the bark to make paper so I used a paper bag.  I also used crayons and have no idea how to draw woodland creatures.  I can barely draw a flower!  Here is my version of an Amate art piece.  It was fun to do something different and something out of my comfort zone.

I made something new for dinner Spanish Spinach with Chickpeas.  It was super simple and took 20 minutes. It took longer to sort, clean and cut the spinach than to make the dish. Next time I would use the smoked paprika for a different taste.  It was really tasty as a side dish.  I have plenty left for one or two days.

Until tomorrow...

GNOME DAY

I went to the pottery place and got my gnome today.  He looks awesome!

This was one of the best painting jobs I have ever done. It was a really fun project.  I am really proud of this one.

Until tomorrow...

POTTERY AND PAINTING

Today I went on a road trip and went to a place where I painted pottery.  There was all sorts of pottery at this place.  Plates, mugs, cupcakes that are banks, fairies, cats, unicorns (lots of unicorns), gnomes, and castles. There were big pieces and little pieces.

I chose a gnome to paint and my foster kid chose a Siamese cat. The kiddo finished his cat faster then I did because his cat was easier to paint. The gnome on the other hand was quite intricate and took a lot of time.

I hope he comes out good. I worked really hard on him, I will be going back in two weeks and we can pick them up. I hope he looks good after being fired.

Until tomorrow...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  It has been quite a day.  Phone calls with family, eating with friends and presents with Brenda and babies.  I am sitting here, well, more like laying here on the couch.  Like a stuffed pig... Writing this before we watch A Christmas Carol. Not the George C. Scott version but the Jim Carrey Disney version.  I have been wanting to watch it since it came out but have never gotten around to it.  It is on Netflix streaming.

My art project arrived in one piece and now I am ready to share it with you.  Last December and this November my niece and nephew were born.  On the day they were born I went to the magazine store and bought the newspaper and some magazines.  I bought Time, TV Guide, People, Wired, Sports Illustrated, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, etc.  I bought these items so years from now my niece and nephew will be able to look back and see what was going on the week/day they were born.  I was given the Life magazine from the week I was born and I treasure it.  It is cool to look back and see the advertisements and articles from the week of my birth.

I made a treasure chest for my nephew, Greyson, and a suitcase for my niece, Reese.  I put the magazines in the cases.  


 Treasure Chest for Greyson

Treasure Chest for Greyson photo by adrienne

Inside Treasure Chest for Greyson photo by adrienne

Side Treasure Chest for Greyson photo by adrienne

Back treasure Chest for Greyson photo by adrienne

Side Treasure Chest for Greyson photo by adrienne

 Suit Case For Reese
 

Suit case for Reese photo by adrienne

Inside Suit case for Reese photo by adrienn

Suit case side for Reese photo by adrienne

Suit case back for Reese photo by adrienne

Suit case side for Reese photo by adrienne

I worked really hard on these projects.  They turned out great! 

I hope you all had a merry Christmas filled with joy and love.  I am off to watch A Christmas Carol.  Oh, we ended up playing Just Dance 3 for 1/2 hour.  Just what I needed to work off all the food I ate.  I feel less like a piggy...  You talk about a workout!  My goodness.  Once my foot heals that is my new workout.  They say dance is a great way to work off the pounds!  I will turn into a stick playing that Wii game.  Whew!

Merry Christmas!!